According to CBS Sports, there is "more than some remote possibility" the Patriots are preparing to shop Wes Welker.The word comes via "several league sources." Trading Welker and the salary remaining on his one-year, $9.5 million franchise tender would make more sense than reducing him to a part-time player, but it's hard to ever truly know what's going on behind the scenes in New England. Randy Moss was dealt in a walk year, but under vastly difference circumstances. This year's trade deadline is October 30.

Funny thing is if this is true, and it happens. Belichick will have made some great genius move by trading Welker.

And Jeff Ireland will still have made a stupid bonehead move by trading marshall/davis....

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Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:19 am

Makchell

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Like I've said before, plug anyone into thier system and they are succesfull.

Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:56 am

10acjed

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Makchell wrote:

Like I've said before, plug anyone into thier system and they are succesfull.

Chad Johnson

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Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:26 am

Haha

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

How GREAT would it be to have Welker back in our lineup. Too bad he cost and arm and a leg. Not to mention the Patriots would never ship a weapon like him to someone in their division. Not only cause of skill but because he knows their Offense inside and out. BUT, mm would that be nice.

HartlineBessWelker

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Thu Sep 20, 2012 6:59 am

Rock Sexton

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

We don't need Welker. Bess plays the slot. Acquiring him literally makes no football or business sense.

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Thu Sep 20, 2012 7:11 am

jammer

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Rock Sexton wrote:

We don't need Welker. Bess plays the slot. Acquiring him literally makes no football or business sense.

Agreed. It would almost make more sense to get a Hartline clone so that one of them could be the distraction while the other and Bess take advantage...kind of like what Randy Moss opened up for Welker in NE.

I'll take Welker over Bess any day of the week even if Welker had a broken leg.

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Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:47 am

ytnewton

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Rock Sexton wrote:

We don't need Welker. Bess plays the slot. Acquiring him literally makes no football or business sense.

Exactly!

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Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:54 am

swerve13

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Haha wrote:

I'll take Welker over Bess any day of the week even if Welker had a broken leg.

agreed

Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:12 am

Phins Rock

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

jammer wrote:

Rock Sexton wrote:

We don't need Welker. Bess plays the slot. Acquiring him literally makes no football or business sense.

Agreed. It would almost make more sense to get a Hartline clone so that one of them could be the distraction while the other and Bess take advantage...kind of like what Randy Moss opened up for Welker in NE.

You guys are over thinking the X's and O's big time.

Welker would be our best WR....If you can get him for a decent price it's a no brainer.

That said, it's a moot point. Bellichick isn't stupid.

Thu Sep 20, 2012 10:09 am

Finhead34

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Welker would still no doubt be an upgrade to our receiving corps, but I agree that Belicheck is shrewd enough to take other AFC East players for his needs, but I certainly don't see Welker being packaged off to Miami or the Jets....

Thu Sep 20, 2012 10:18 am

Rock Sexton

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Phins Rock wrote:

You guys are over thinking the X's and O's big time.

Welker would be our best WR....If you can get him for a decent price it's a no brainer.

That said, it's a moot point. Bellichick isn't stupid.

We're over-thinking them.

You're under-thinking them.

We're all just thinking.

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Thu Sep 20, 2012 12:33 pm

wkloiber13

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Phins Rock wrote:

jammer wrote:

Rock Sexton wrote:

We don't need Welker. Bess plays the slot. Acquiring him literally makes no football or business sense.

Agreed. It would almost make more sense to get a Hartline clone so that one of them could be the distraction while the other and Bess take advantage...kind of like what Randy Moss opened up for Welker in NE.

You guys are over thinking the X's and O's big time.

Welker would be our best WR....If you can get him for a decent price it's a no brainer.

That said, it's a moot point. Bellichick isn't stupid.

That's the problem, we wouldn't get him for a decent price, the guy was holding out for money and New England was forced to franchise tag him.

I agree with Rock Sexton, Welker doesn't make sense for our team. We need outside guys not another good slot receiver. I'd rather see us take some of our money next year and go after a big outside threat like Jennings, Bowe, or Wallace.

Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:44 pm

Phins Rock

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

So a WR who caught over 350 more yards than the AFC's 2nd leading WR a year ago, on 122 catches doesn't "fit" what we need at WR.

LOL. Ok guys.

I guess DeMarcus Ware doesn't fit what we need either because he plays the same position as Cam Wake.

Wes Welker would be, by far, the best WR on the team....Period....By far.

We currently have 2 WR's worth anything...Freeking Legedu Naanee is our 3rd WR...

I don't care where Welker lines up, (which, by the way, was mostly the boundary last year)....He'd be an INCREDIBLE addition.

Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:35 pm

jammer

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Phins Rock wrote:

So a WR who caught over 350 more yards than the AFC's 2nd leading WR a year ago, on 122 catches doesn't "fit" what we need at WR.

LOL. Ok guys.

I guess DeMarcus Ware doesn't fit what we need either because he plays the same position as Cam Wake.

Wes Welker would be, by far, the best WR on the team....Period....By far.

We currently have 2 WR's worth anything...Freeking Legedu Naanee is our 3rd WR...

I don't care where Welker lines up, (which, by the way, was mostly the boundary last year)....He'd be an INCREDIBLE addition.

No one doubts his skill set PR, but the truth is his best numbers came when defenses had to focus on Randy Moss and when the Gronk/Hernandez combo proved too mighty for the LBs to handle. You can't deny those coincidences. He lines up on the boundary but he doesn't run deep routes as often as you'd like to have us think. Most of his stuff comes underneath with good YAC. He can't do that in Miami unless Hartline and Armstrong start ramping up their production and becoming distractions that let slot WRs and TEs chew up the middle of the field.

Not to mention he's been hurt, takes a ton of hard hits and is on the wrong side of 31. I don't want Miami paying a hefty deal to a 5'9, 32 year old WR that will break down soon.

Lets also not forget who has been throwing him the ball since 2007.

Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:13 pm

Phins Rock

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

I don't want to pay alot for him either...but to say he doesn't fit because we already have Bess is ridiculous.

1500 yards is 1500 yards...not saying he could duplicate that, but he'd still be our best weapon outside and a huge improvement over what we currently have.

Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:44 pm

Makchell

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

We're all just thinking.

Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:02 pm

wkloiber13

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Phins Rock wrote:

So a WR who caught over 350 more yards than the AFC's 2nd leading WR a year ago, on 122 catches doesn't "fit" what we need at WR.

LOL. Ok guys.

I guess DeMarcus Ware doesn't fit what we need either because he plays the same position as Cam Wake.

Wes Welker would be, by far, the best WR on the team....Period....By far.

We currently have 2 WR's worth anything...Freeking Legedu Naanee is our 3rd WR...

I don't care where Welker lines up, (which, by the way, was mostly the boundary last year)....He'd be an INCREDIBLE addition.

The guys you're mentioning would definitely upgrade the team, but at what cost? They'd cripple our cap number and potentially cost us another key piece. Do you want to add Welker and loose Hartline and Fasano? Would you want to add Ware and lose Starks and Smith? Welker is a great receiver, but the guy is looking for a monster contract and I'd rather see us go after someone like Jennings if we're going to throw money at a wideout. Jennings is younger, bigger, and he knows our staff. He's a better fit. If you're going to spend $10M+ on a wideout, he's the kind of guy you go after.

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Fri Sep 21, 2012 3:33 am

Rock Sexton

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

wkloiber13 wrote:

The guys you're mentioning would definitely upgrade the team, but at what cost? They'd cripple our cap number and potentially cost us another key piece. Do you want to add Welker and loose Hartline and Fasano? Would you want to add Ware and lose Starks and Smith? Welker is a great receiver, but the guy is looking for a monster contract and I'd rather see us go after someone like Jennings if we're going to throw money at a wideout. Jennings is younger, bigger, and he knows our staff. He's a better fit. If you're going to spend $10M+ on a wideout, he's the kind of guy you go after.

The other part of the equation is Welker's age and the fact that he had a torn ACL a couple seasons ago.

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Fri Sep 21, 2012 7:05 am

10acjed

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

wkloiber13 wrote:

Do you want to add Welker and loose Hartline and Fasano?

Nope because we have Bess, if Bess had as many balls thrown his way as welker the stats would match. Fasano is a great blocker, and when he is on in the passing game he is solid. His problem is consistency, seems to still have flashes.

wkloiber13 wrote:

Would you want to add Ware and lose Starks and Smith?

We def cant afford to loose smith, not with our DB's. Starks is a 28 year old DT, and a very good one, his value is on par with any WR out there that a team would be willing to trade. We have to deal with is contact nest year too so its now or never if they do trade him.However he is part of our anchor in the middle, loose him and watch the the defense struggle. We really need the defense this year, I think Starks needs to stay and get an extension. He has already had 2 great games.

No doubt Welker would make us a better team, but like you I think the cost would be too high. Only way it works is if they take a late pic rather than loose him to FA.. However even that is a ?, the NFL will likely give them a 5th round comp pic.

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Sat Sep 22, 2012 4:18 am

Finhead34

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

No doubt Welker would make us a better team, but like you I think the cost would be too high. Only way it works is if they take a late pic rather than loose him to FA.. However even that is a ?, the NFL will likely give them a 5th round comp pic.

IMO, Even if Miami wanted this to happen, Belicheck is NOT going to trade Welker back to the Dolphins.

Sat Sep 22, 2012 5:50 am

Big Dave

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

Maybe too much is made of his decrease in snaps.

PFF wrote:

While some people have been worried about Wes Welker’s snaps, his tally of 61 plays lined up in the slot is more than any other player.

Not sure I understand the concept of this thread: Belichick is reducing Welkers snaps because he is getting ready to trade Welker??!?Shouldn't he be trying to make Welker look great so he could get the best deal possible???

Sun Sep 23, 2012 2:03 am

Big Dave

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

degs wrote:

Not sure I understand the concept of this thread: Belichick is reducing Welkers snaps because he is getting ready to trade Welker??!?Shouldn't he be trying to make Welker look great so he could get the best deal possible???

I'm with you on this. If this is the last year in New England I'd use the heck out of him to win or to trade him. He's making "franchise" money.

Not sure I understand the concept of this thread: Belichick is reducing Welkers snaps because he is getting ready to trade Welker??!?Shouldn't he be trying to make Welker look great so he could get the best deal possible???

I'm with you on this. If this is the last year in New England I'd use the heck out of him to win or to trade him. He's making "franchise" money.

People treat everything BB like some sort of football genius, so everything he does has to have some sort of spin to make it look like its strategy and only a good deal to them.

For all we know he is just limiting his snaps because he is getting older, hoping to stretch his career out a little longer. All that Welker went through to get to NE, does anyone really think he is going to have a contract dispute? He plays on a team picked for the SB nearly every year... I sure dont.

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Not sure I understand the concept of this thread: Belichick is reducing Welkers snaps because he is getting ready to trade Welker??!?Shouldn't he be trying to make Welker look great so he could get the best deal possible???

The fact that this is on a Dolphin board is perplexing. We are still more obsessed with Rex Ryan & Bill Belecheck & the teams they coach than the Dolphins.

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Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:24 am

Makchell

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Re: Welker's benching is starting to make sense

The fact that this is on a Dolphin board is perplexing. We are still more obsessed with Rex Ryan & Bill Belecheck & the teams they coach than the Dolphins